Arms Open WIDE

Diversity begins with inclusion and we strive to offer an inclusive environment for all students. The Wilson Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Office (WIDE) is at the heart of this effort.

WIDE seeks to produce intentional and varied learning opportunities for all Warren Wilson students, faculty, and staff to:

• Develop consciousness around issues of racial and ethnic diversity.
• Engage multicultural perspectives through critical dialogue and programs.
• Promote universal love and intercultural competency.
• Create inclusive and equitable spaces in appreciation of difference.

How does WIDE do it?

Programming

The WIDE Heritage Series presents awareness, celebration, and dialogue programming throughout the year, including Hispanic and Latin@ heritage, Indigenous and Native American heritage, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Black World History Month, Chinese New Year, International Women’s Month, and Asian/Pacific Islander heritage.

Education

The WIDE crew provides a number of educational opportunities for the Warren Wilson community, including classroom/crew presentations, conferences, trainings, and workshops.

Community Building

WIDE is a noted ally whose community outreach includes social justice campaigns, solidarity programming, and support of aligned student demonstrations. WIDE also collaborates with organizations and colleges/universities in the Asheville, Black Mountain, and surrounding region.

Student Advocacy

WIDE provides an open door policy and supports all students in development of their multiple identities. The WIDE Office is also an advocate and response unit for student reports of racial and ethnic bias.

Partnerships on Campus

WIDE works with a number of racial and ethnic identity student groups, including:

• Asian Pacific Islander Student Association (APISA)
• Black Student Union (BSU)
• Engage: a social and leadership student group for students of color
• Herman@s Orgullos@s en las Americas (WHOLA)

Additionally WIDE partners with Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ), our campus affiliate of the national network of groups educating and organizing white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for racial justice.

In Pursuit of Excellence

We believe diversity lies at the heart of excellence. And we know that despite our successes, we still have work to do to achieve our vision of an educational community representing our broadly diverse world. We have not achieved the racial diversity we seek. Our student body tends to lean left politically. We have more hiking boots than high heels on campus.

But. We are a community that refuses to accept our current status quo as our destiny.

Instead, we are actively working with our community to become more educated and inclusive. This means:

• Our Human Resources department helps our hiring committees challenge their own bias’
• Our Student Life Division hosts round-tables for our students of color so they can share institutional racism they encounter on campus
• Our staff and faculty experience diversity training
• And that our President champions deliberate dialogue as a path to meaningful communication across campus.

If there’s one thing we know at Warren Wilson, it’s that you must be willing to work to make the world what you believe it should be. We’re engaged in that work as a community now. We can’t wait for you to join us.

Race/Ethnicity Data